Welp, winter is coming up soon, and that means having to turn on the ol’ heat. You probably already know that heating a house accounts for a large part of your energy bill each winter (unless you live somewhere really warm, lucky), but you might not have known that there are a few simple steps you can take so that your house is warmer and your wallet is fuller.
Wear a sweater
It’s surprising how many times this simple solution isn’t followed. It’s even more surprising when I remember me mum telling us to put on a sweatshirt so my parents wouldn’t have to turn up the heat. You can set your thermostat to 65 (or lower!) if you follow this easy, energy-saving plan. That’s the temperature me and my girlfriend had our apartment at last year, and we survived thanks to multiple layers of clothes.
Lower your water heater temperature
This one makes a lot of sense, as long as you don’t lower your water heater temperature TOO far. If you have your water temperature set waaay high up, then you’re never even going to use the hottest setting for the water. You may as well set it so that the highest, hottest water that comes out of the tap is the exact hotness that you’d want. For most people, this means turning down the temperature on their water heater. This can save a lot on your power bill, especially during the winter.
Also, if you own your house, you might want to look into insulating your water heater. The initial expense will more than pay for itself as the years go by.
Keep out cold, winter drafts - insulate!
Old Man Winter is your heating bill’s main enemy. He cannot be killed; he can only be contained. Make sure he stays outside where he belongs by inspecting your house for cracks or holes to the outside. Common places for drafts include chimneys, around the edges of doors and windows, and your dryer duct. Caulking and weather stripping (both cheap and easy to use) will solve these dilemmas. One more thing to look out for is to make sure that your home is properly insulated. A big problem area for many people is uninsulated attics. If your attic is not insulated, make sure that the entrance to your attic is. This will keep the cold air in the attic and away from your living space.
If you follow these three simple steps to lower your heating bill, you will be sitting back smiling when winter comes along. You will even have saved up enough money to make some hot chocolate to celebrate.
